(VOVWORLD) - The National Dance Sport Competition for visually impaired people took place in Hanoi on Wednesday with the theme "Step and Sway". The event draws over 100 visually-impaired athletes from 10 dance sport clubs in Hanoi, Cao Bang, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Thai Binh, Quang Binh, and Ho Chi Minh City.
 The winners of dance-duo category (photo: Cam Thi) |
Dinh Viet Anh, Vice President of the Vietnam Blind Association, said: “Ensuring the good health and well-being for all is one of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals until 2030. Sports can help people with disabilities become healthier, improve their ability to integrate into society in many ways, and help ease burden on the healthcare system. The Vietnam Paralympic Committee, Vietnam Blind Association, Vietnam Gymnastics Federation, SOLAR Dance Club, have introduced dance sport to many visually-impaired people.”
After the successful dance sport competitions in Hanoi in 2021 and 2022 and the Cup of Visually-impaired People's Dance Sport Clubs in 2023, functional agencies and SOLAR Dance Club, the first of its kind for visually-impaired people in Vietnam, organized the competition for 2024 to help more visually-impaired people participate in professional training and competition. Dance Sport is expected to become an official sport at the Para Games.
 The athletes are blind or visually-impaired. (photo: Tran Thu Huong) |
Dance sport athlete To Van Hoa, the founder of SOLAR Dance Sport Clubs, has traveled to many localities to teach free dancing for visually impaired people since 2019. Hoa said that both the new and old athletes have undergone a remarkable transformation, demonstrating a level of athleticism and profession.
“Vietnam is taking the lead in dance sport training for visually-impaired people in the region. The world has Para dance sport for people with physical disabilities, but not for visually-impaired people. All previous dance sport competitions for visually-impaired people have been successful and left resounding results,” said coach Hoa.
The Organizing Committee awarded 36 prizes, including 1 first prize for delegation, 35 sets of gold, silver, bronze medals and certificates to athletes.